These days, prediabetes is becoming all too common. In fact, the number of people living with this disease is alarming. The chances are that you or someone you know has it.
Consider this shocking statistic.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 86 million Americans have developed prediabetes. That’s nearly one out of three people. Unfortunately, nine out of 10 people are unaware that they have it.
Even more disturbing, 15 to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes within five years if recommended lifestyle changes are not made.
Add that to the fact that the term “pre-diabetes” itself throws patients off. This is because patients often assume that the “pre” means there are no potential health consequences associated with this condition.
The harsh reality is that this simply isn’t true.
Not only can prediabetes drastically increase the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes, but it also elevates the risk of heart disease, blood vessel disease, high blood pressure and stroke.
“People with pre-diabetes have up to a 70 percent chance of developing diabetes over their lifetime and can acquire the complications of diabetes even if they don’t develop overt diabetes,” says Dr. Leigh Perreault, a physician and clinical researcher at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.